One-Dimensional Chainlike Arrays of Fe₃O₄ Hollow Nanospheres Synthesized by Aging Iron Nanoparticles in Aqueous Solution

Abstract

One-dimensional (1D) chainlike arrays of hollow magnetic Fe3O4 spheres have been prepared by simply aging magnetically preassembled Fe nanoparticles in aqueous solution at room temperature. The diameter of the 1D nanomaterials is about 100−200 nm, and the length is up to 1−3 μm, observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The structure and magnetic properties of the Fe3O4 hollow chains were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and via a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometer. Mechanism investigations on the time dependent process reveal these hollow nanostructures were formed based on the nanoscale Kirkendall effect. Besides the aqueous microenvironment, the partial pressure of oxygen is of great importance in the formation of 1D chainlike Fe3O4 hollow nanostructures.